DOE removes renewable energy offices and prioritizes fossil fuels and nuclear energy

The New York Times first reported that several offices were in place under the Biden administration Department of Energyand that were critical to renewable energy research and deployment for decades, have been replaced or closed in President Donald Trump’s DOE. In a department organizational chart Published Thursday, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) are gone, with offices focused on nuclear energy and fossil fuel deployment taking their place.

The EERE had existed in some form since 1973, but was renamed in 1993 during a DOE reorganization. The EERE retained ten suboffices responsible for advancing federal programs to support decarbonization efforts in the electric grid, transportation, industry, buildings, and agriculture. Under the EERE, the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) was established in 2000 and appointed in 2012. SETO had been providing millions of dollars annually in financing opportunities for solar energy projects and research.

Since taking office, Trump has publicly shown hostility toward the renewable energy sector, following promises to cut federal funding to support the technology. In August, the Environmental Protection Agency canceled $7 billion in project funding through the Solar For All program. That same month, the Department of Agriculture ended funding for solar and wind energy projects through the Rural Energy for America Program, which had been an economic lifeline for farmers and small rural businesses to build solar.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Energy Department is aligning its activities to restore sanity [sic] energy policy, lower costs for American families and businesses and ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.